Hunting for meat and animal poaching in Sabarimala forest?; fifty-member Tamil Nadu group in forest with guns

PATHANAMTHITTA: Forest Intelligence has received information that widespread animal poaching is taking place in the Sabarimala forest, a protected area of ​​the Periyar Tiger Reserve. It is suspected that it is a gang from Tamil Nadu. This gang hunts animals including Gaur, takes them back from the forest to the country and sells them secretly.

The forest department suspects that more than fifty people are in the inner forest with unlicensed guns. They are also receiving local help. Animal poaching is taking place in places like Kochukoickal, Gurunathanmannu, Chittar, and Angamoozhy.

It is reported that the poachers are entering the inner forest from Tamil Nadu via Urani on the Achankovil route. The poachers are coming by blazing parallel paths through the forest to avoid being noticed by the police and forest guards. Trails have been formed from side roads to forest areas where there is a high presence of animals. This is suspected to be the poachers' route.

There have been recent incidents of unidentified persons stealing food from the residential areas adjacent to the forest areas surrounding Gavi. It is suspected that this is for poachers. Five complaints have been registered at the Seethathode police station in this regard. It is alleged that the police did not conduct further investigations other than collecting initial information.

Forest guards unable to find hunters

The forest guards are unable to find the poachers as they change their locations every day. The forest guards do not have the necessary facilities to camp in the area and conduct inspections. Forest guards from Kochukoickal, Thulappally, Goodrical, and Gurunathanmannu forest stations are only inspecting the forest borders and returning. The forest guards do not have the facilities to roundup and chase the poachers. There are also few lights to illuminate remote areas.

5 years, 7 Gaurs

• 7 Gaurs were poached in the Sabarimala forest area in the past five years. Two ivory poaching operations have also taken place

• Information that there are 53 people in this area who are illegally possessing guns

''There are complaints of food being stolen from houses. Investigation is ongoing

- Seethathode Police